


Uncomfortable Encounters

by Noteventhat (Facialteeth)



Series: A Troubled Past [1]
Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Crack Treated Seriously, Humor, Jealous Magnus, M/M, Slight fluff, experienced Alec
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-18
Updated: 2021-01-18
Packaged: 2021-03-17 04:40:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,800
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28843260
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Facialteeth/pseuds/Noteventhat
Summary: As soon as they stepped out of the portal to the new High Warlock's mansion, Alec had the feeling he'd been there before but he didn't realize why until it was entirely too late to warn Magnus.Alec and Lorenzo hooked up once upon a time, leaving Alec and Magnus to have a very awkward encounter with said warlock at his party.
Relationships: Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood, Past Alec Lightwood/Lorenzo Rey
Series: A Troubled Past [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2120982
Comments: 36
Kudos: 154





	Uncomfortable Encounters

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ByTheAngell (SomeLittleInfamy)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SomeLittleInfamy/gifts).



> Elle I'm gifting this to you because I reread your Magnus/Lorenzo fic and this is absolutely inspired by that. If anyone wants to read that magnificent piece you can read it [here](https://archiveofourown.org/works/27043495). 
> 
> I couldn't help but imagine if Alec and Lorenzo had a past instead.

The moment they arrived at the building, the home of the new High Warlock who had taken Magnus’ position, Alec knew that something was horribly familiar about it. Alec stepped out of the portal and froze at the sight of the mansion, some recognition just barely flickering in the corner of his mind. He’d been here before, hadn’t he? It could have been some other mansion Alec was thinking of and it was dark but he really felt like he’d been here before.

Before Alec could think about it any further, Magnus was grabbing his hand and pulling him up the steps towards the door, probably mistaking his sudden silence as nervousness - which wasn't horribly inaccurate. Alec was a little nervous to be in a room full of warlocks that Magnus had known for centuries, warlocks who were already predisposed to not like him, but that wasn’t why Alec suddenly went silent.

He’d been here before. He _knew_ he had and he couldn’t let it go until he remembered why. It was so easy to think maybe he’d come to this warlock's house on a mission once but Alec didn’t think that was why. He’d come here with someone before. Someone he’d been with but it couldn’t be-

Magnus rolled his eyes as they reached the door, hitting the absurdly decorative knocker with his hand as he scoffed. “Just because it’s expensive doesn’t mean it looks nice,” Magnus murmured critically.

If his boyfriend was waiting for some kind of response back, Alec was sorry to say he’d be disappointed. Alec couldn’t even think of anything to say back because all at once, he knew why he’d been here before and all at once, he felt like he wanted to throw up.

Alec suddenly remembered being pushed against the front door, _this_ door, barely even pulling away from the man’s lips long enough for them to go inside, slam the door and continue on the other side of it. Alec remembered being led upstairs to that grand bed and being pressed into the sheets. He remembered leaving and coming back again and then, again.

“Lorenzo Rey,” Magnus hissed next to him as they walked into the party, eyeing Lorenzo’s prominent figure from across the room. “The new High Warlock of Brooklyn.” Magnus explained, not knowing Alec didn’t need the introduction.

Alec was thankful Magnus didn’t look over to him right then. He was too busy surveying the room to notice that Alec had gone completely pale. Internally, Alec cursed. He’d been with only a handful of people in his life. How was it possible that one of the very few men he’d ever hooked up with was the man taking Magnus’ job, a man his boyfriend very clearly had a bitter past with. Seventeen thousand people Magnus had been with before and they couldn’t have run into one of them tonight instead.

“Magnus, are you sure bringing me here was a good idea?” Alec managed to spit out.

Magnus turned to him but he didn’t have a chance to respond before Alec met eyes with someone across the room, someone he’d been hoping he would be able to avoid for much longer, at least long enough to pull Magnus into a corner and rush out some kind of an explanation.

“Alexander,” Lorenzo said as he made his way across the room, hardly even glancing to Magnus at Alec’s side. Magnus looked stunned next to him but Alec didn’t look over. He was too busy staring at Lorenzo in shock and horror, trying to keep the expression off his face long enough to smile politely. “Alexander Lightwood, what a surprise seeing you here.”

Lorenzo came forward, handing Alec a drink that Alec took instinctively before realizing Lorenzo had pointedly not offered one to Magnus. “You came with a friend,” Lorenzo said, side eyeing Magnus like Lorenzo wasn’t well aware of who he was, like Magnus hadn’t been the one invited here tonight and Alec had just gotten dragged along.

Alec swallowed, his throat suddenly incredibly dry. “Yes, Lorenzo. It’s nice to see you again.” Alec managed to say, both hoping he didn’t sound incredibly strained and hoping he had, so that Magnus understood he wasn’t happy about this either.

Next to him, Magnus finally opened his mouth. “I didn’t realize you two knew each other,” Magnus said, turning to look at Alec with an expression that screamed for an explanation, one that Alec would not be giving here right in front of Lorenzo.

“We’ve met once or twice,” Alec said vaguely, waving his free hand as if to visually say that it was no big deal. Alec had been hoping Lorenzo would take the hint and leave it alone like Alec so clearly wanted him to but apparently, he didn’t pick up on that kind of subtly.

“Oh, I think it was more than once or twice.” Lorenzo said, smiling easily in Alec’s direction. “I seem to recall seeing quite a bit of you for a few weeks.”

At that, Magnus finally seemed to pick up the implication. “You were _seeing_ each other?” Magnus asked, turning to look at Alec in disbelief.

“It’s not like that-” Alec tried but Lorenzo cut him off before he could continue, speaking as if he couldn’t feel the tension hanging in the air.

“You didn’t think you were the only person your new boyfriend had ever been with, had you?” Lorenzo raised an eyebrow at Magnus and Alec had the inexplicable urge smack him across the face.

“Of course not,” Magnus said at last, sounding as if he was trying hard to appear much more composed than he really was. “He’s just never mentioned you before is all.”

“Well, some things we prefer to keep to ourselves, I suppose.” Lorenzo said, phrasing it as if Alec had intentionally avoided telling Magnus about Lorenzo, which he _hadn’t_. He would have told Magnus long before this if it would have spared him this awful conversation that was somehow still going on. “I didn’t mean to speak out of turn. I hope I haven’t caused any trouble.” Lorenzo said, sounding very much pleased at the idea that he had caused trouble. ”No hard feelings, right Bane?”

“On the contrary,” Magnus said, turning to glance towards Alec. “I feel as if I’ve been enlightened.”

Alec was desperately hoping that Magnus saw the apology in his eyes but he was glancing away before Alec could really tell if he’d picked up on the fact that Alec hated this just as much as he did.

“I imagine we’ll be seeing quite a bit of each other at your downworlder cabinet meetings, Alexander.” Lorenzo continued, his body now completely facing Alec, ignoring Magnus all together. “Head of the Institute now, that’s exciting.”

Alec turned to Lorenzo again. He couldn’t even believe he was _still_ talking but clearly, he wanted to make this last as long as he could. He was pleased that Magnus hadn’t known, pleased he’d gotten to say it, pleased to rub it in and make this last as painfully long as he wanted.

Alec nodded. “Yeah, it is uh- exciting.” Alec raised his drink to his lips, taking a sip just so he wouldn’t have to say anything else. Maybe, he could down it and get drunk to make this conversation a little more bearable.

“I hope you don’t expect special treatment because of our past.”

Alec choked on his drink, the liquid coming back out into his glass.

“I am here to serve the warlocks,” Lorenzo continued, undisturbed by Alec’s reaction.

For a second, Alec was so caught off guard that he couldn’t even speak. “Of course not,” he spit out finally, thinking a moment after that he should have tried to sound more forceful, should have sounded more appalled but he was just so shocked that Lorenzo had the audacity to say what was coming out of his mouth to sound anything other than shocked.

“Well, then I look forward to our first cabinet meeting.” Lorenzo reached out and Alec offered him his hand in return, cringing internally at the touch that he was well aware Magnus was watching. “Enjoy the party,” Lorenzo said as he let go.

He walked past both of them without another word to Magnus, his hand brushing Alec’s arm in a final, pointed goodbye as he left.

All at once, Alec could feel Magnus’ eyes drilling holes into his head. He raised his drink to his lips again.

“You and Lorenzo?” Magnus asked, sounding utterly appalled.

Alec turned to him. “It wasn’t that serious,” he said instantly. “It was just a thing. We met at a bar and-” Alec broke off, almost thankful when Magnus started speaking instead.

“I’m aware of what a fling is Alec but _him_?”

Alec grimaced. “I barely knew him. It was-” _sexual_ is how Alec had been about to finish that sentence but he broke off again, his face flushing at the thought of saying it. “It wasn’t like you and I,” he continued in a hush. “Nothing has ever been like you, Magnus. I didn’t know I could have more than… a _fling_ with anyone, until you.”

Alec looked down to his glass again, letting them sit in the awkward tension for another couple of incredibly long moments, wondering if Lorenzo had managed to mess up his first real relationship that quickly.

At last, Magnus murmured, “I’m sorry, Alec.”

Alec slowly looked up to him, frowning.

“I’m not trying to shame you. It’s just-” Magnus waved his hand vaguely. “Well, I’m normally the one that has awkward exes who show up at inappropriate times. I’ve never really been on the other side of it before. It’s… uncomfortable.”

Alec let out a soft laugh. Uncomfortable was an understatement. “I’ve never been more uncomfortable in my entire life,” Alec said, which finally seemed to break some of the tension between them.

Magnus turned to him, smiling a little. “Maybe later you can give me a run down of who else exactly you’ve slept with, so we can avoid this happening again at all costs.”

Alec laughed softly, “It’s really not a long list.”

Instantly, Magnus’ smile flattened. “Oh, too much time with Lorenzo?” He quipped, raising an eyebrow over to him.

Before either of them could say anything else, Madzie was darting towards them and Alec was so thankful to have his attention diverted that he could have cried. He imagined they’d be having another conversation about this at home and probably quite a few other conversations about it. Alec had the feeling that this was only one of the many uncomfortable encounters he’d have with Lorenzo and his boyfriend but for the moment, he couldn’t have been more happy to kneel with Madzie and pretend it wasn’t coming.


End file.
